Trump tells Xi he sees a ‘fantastic future together’ at Beijing meeting
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President Donald Trump opened his high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping by predicting a “great future together”; His administration has struck an unusually warm tone as it pursues new trade and investment deals with Beijing.
“This is, in fact, the longest relationship that any president and president has ever had between our two countries,” Trump said at the start of a bilateral meeting Thursday local time. he said. “We had a great relationship. We got along well.”
“And whenever we had a problem, we resolved it very quickly,” he continued. “We will have a wonderful future together.”
Trump also praised Xi directly, calling him a “great leader” and emphasizing that the personal relationship between the two leaders is the basis for future cooperation.
President Donald Trump opened his risky meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping by predicting a “great future together.” (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Xi emphasized cooperation and common interests between the two countries in his opening speech.
“As leaders of major countries, this year is the 250th anniversary of America’s independence,” Xi said, according to a translator. he said. “Congratulations to you and the American people. I have always believed that our two countries have more common interests than differences.”
“Success in one is an opportunity for the other, and a stable bilateral relationship is good for the world,” he continued.
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“China and the United States will gain from cooperation and lose from conflict. We should be partners, not competitors. We should help each other succeed and progress together, and find the right way for major countries to get along with each other in the new era.”
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attended a bilateral meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026, to discuss the Iran conflict, trade imbalances, the status of Taiwan, and create new bilateral boards for economic and AI oversight. (Evan Vucci/Reuters)
Xi added that he looks forward to working with Trump “to steer and steer the giant ship of China-US relations, so as to make 2026 a historical turning point that opens a new page in China-US relations.”
The comments came as Trump arrived in Beijing accompanied by a delegation of senior American executives and underlined the administration’s focus on making economic deals even as broader tensions between the two countries remain unresolved.
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“I want to say on behalf of the entire great delegation that we have, we have the best business people,” Trump said. “We’re asking the top 30 in the world. Every single one of them said yes.”
The delegation consists of executives from major US companies operating in the fields of aviation, finance, technology and agriculture, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.
White House officials said before the trip that Americans should expect the president to “make better deals” and that negotiations are expected to continue on aviation, agriculture and energy, as well as the proposed US-China “Trade Board” and “Investment Board”.
The emphasis on making a deal comes after years of friction between Washington and Beijing over trade, technology and military competition. (Kenny Holston/Pool, via Reuters)
A senior administration official said the potential trade framework being discussed could include “double-digit billion” trade as well as possible purchase commitments from China in areas such as aircraft and agricultural products.
The emphasis on making a deal comes after years of friction between Washington and Beijing over trade, technology and military competition.
While Trump has repeatedly accused Beijing of unfair trade practices, he has imposed broad tariffs on Chinese goods, a policy he continued in his second term.
He also criticized past US policy that helped integrate China into the global trading system, arguing that Beijing was taking advantage of open markets without offering the same access in return.
But in his opening remarks Thursday, the president emphasized business ties and personal harmony, underscoring what appears to be an effort to stabilize economic relations between the world’s two largest economies.
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The comments came as administration officials said trade talks with China were ongoing, as well as discussions on Iran, artificial intelligence and other security issues.
Trump’s praise for Xi is consistent with his longstanding approach to using personal diplomacy as a negotiating tactic with foreign leaders, including his rivals; However, it is not yet known whether this approach will turn into concrete agreements with China.
